Warning! Contains spoilers for The Last of Us Episode 2 and the original 2 games and DLC.HBO's The Last of Us episode 2 further develops Ellie's character and provides some hints about her sexuality. The Last of Us episode 2 picks up almost immediately after episode 1's cliffhanger with Joel and Tess hesitant about Ellie's immunity reveal. The duo interrogates the young girl, wondering if she is in fact immune or if she will suddenly turn into the same type of monster that has decimated humanity.
After deciding to continue their task and deliver Ellie to the Fireflies at the State House, The Last of Us episode 2 reveals more about Ellie's character. Through bonding with Anna Torv's Tess, hints about Bella Ramsey's Ellie come to the forefront. One of these conversations hints at Ellie's sexuality, allowing viewers an insight into one of the original game's most groundbreaking storylines for the time of its release.
The Last Of Us Episode 2 Hints That Ellie Is Gay
During their travels, Tess asks if anyone will come looking for Ellie in a way that could put Joel and her in danger. Tess asks if any parents or a boyfriend will come searching for Ellie who replies that she is an orphan, as was already revealed in The Last of Us episode 1, before hesitating on the boyfriend question. Ellie delays her answer before replying "and uh... no." The hesitancy in Ellie's answer, as well as the pointed element of the camera focusing on her as she says this provides another hint towards Ellie being gay after the continued mentions of the mysterious Riley in HBO's The Last of Us show.
The Last Of Us Show Will Confirm Ellie Is Gay
One of the elements of the original The Last of Us game that co-writer and co-creator of the show Craig Mazin confirmed would stay integral to the HBO adaptation is Ellie's sexuality. In the original game, and especially its sequel, Ellie's lesbian identity is an important element for the character's arc. It allows for some of the heartbreaking elements of both games, especially in the first game's Left Behind DLC which The Last of Us show is also confirmed to explore.
Shortly after the series was announced, a fan took to Twitter to request that Mazin and Druckmann "keep the gay gay" and request the duo not erase any representation found in the game. Mazin then replied, despite his tweets now being protected, that they have his word. With Druckmann (who wrote and directed both The Last of Us games) involved in the show, combined with the hints in The Last of Us episodes 1 and 2 - it is clear that Ellie's sexuality will be kept the same, confirming Mazin's early comments.
Why Ellie Being Gay Is So Important To The Last Of Us
While Ellie's TV show sexuality may not be as particularly groundbreaking due to the improvements in LGBTQ+ representation in the medium as of late, it was crucial to the original The Last of Us game. LGBTQ+ representation in the world of gaming had obviously been around before 2013 and the release of The Last of Us, it had not been prominent in mainstream games. The vast majority of LGBTQ+ characters were NPCs or pushed to the background, with the exception of games which allowed players to define the sexuality of their player characters for themselves.
With HBO's The Last of Us keeping to the game's character arcs, the show has a chance to revisit a groundbreaking moment for representation in gaming. Ellie was one of the earliest playable characters in a mainstream game to be confirmed as LGBTQ+. It is noteworthy that in the original The Last of Us release Ellie's sexuality is only heavily implied, just as Bill's is. It was not until the Left Behind DLC was released that the character was explicitly depicted as a lesbian. While there has been a big increase in the number of playable LGBTQ+ characters in video games since The Last of Us released, it is important for the HBO adaptation to keep this element of Ellie's character intact and not risk straightwashing a prominent LGBTQ+ milestone in gaming.
What Ellie Being Gay Means For Her Last Of Us Show Story
While Ellie's immunity in The Last of Us has a huge bearing on the main story, her sexuality is more important to her own personal story. As hinted at by Ellie's conversation with Marlene in The Last of Us episode 1, Ellie has ties to Riley in her past which greatly affect her. Although the original game relegated the explicit portrayal of this part of her story to The Last of Us: Left Behind DLC, HBO's The Last of Us, with Mazin and Druckmann directly includes the events of The Last of Us: Left Behind into the main story.
In Left Behind Ellie's growing relationship with Riley, a former student of the FEDRA military school who left to join the Fireflies, takes the pair to an abandoned mall in the QZ. After bonding, including a kiss between the two, Riley agrees to stay with Ellie in Boston - The Last of Us' main quarantine zone, but they are interrupted by a group of infected. Both girls are bitten, and they agree to turn into monsters together. This is how Ellie tragically discovers her immunity, kickstarting the events of the original game, and walking delicately close to a "bury your gays" trope.
Fortunately, The Last of Us mostly fixed any concerns in that regard with The Last of Us: Part II, and if HBO adapts the second game then Ellie's sexuality will play an even bigger role in her story. The Last of Us Part II, tells a much more personal story, less focused on The Last of Us' Cordyceps virus than the first game. In doing so, Ellie's relationships also take the forefront, especially one with her girlfriend Dina. This could all be explored and used to further Ellie's sexuality should HBO's The Last of Us choose to make season 2 and base it on the original game's sequel.
New episodes of The Last of Us release every Sunday on HBO.